Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman has been suspended indefinitely with pay after a scrape he has described as "accidental contact" with senior guard Larry Bastfield during a win Saturday at South Carolina State, The Baltimore Sun has reported.

Athletic director Floyd Kerr informed him of the decision late Sunday night, Bozeman told the newspaper. The school has begun an investigation into the incident.

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Kerr told the coach he was to "separate" himself from the team and have no further contact with any of his players or coaches until further notice, The Sun reported.

Bozeman told the newspaper Kerr declined to elaborate on the reasons for the suspension.

South Carolina State president George E. Cooper, who has said he witnessed the incident and thought the coach had punched the player in the face, summoned campus police during the game to query the player about bringing possible charges against Bozeman.

Cooper was joined by several in the crowd in saying they witnessed the coach punch the player.

Bozeman and Bastfield maintained Sunday night the situation was blown out of proportion, according to The Sun. Bastfield told the newspaper he "exaggerated" his reaction to the physical contact with Bozeman.

"These people are completely off the charts" regarding the accusations, Bozeman said in a telephone interview with The Sun. "I didn't hit him in the face."

Bastfield said he hadn't thought much about the incident before two campus police officers asked him if he was interested in pressing charges against Bozeman before he boarded the team bus.

"They said they were told he hit me in the face," Bastfield said, according to The Sun. "I told him that he accidently bumped me in the chest. It was something that happens in the heat of the game."

Morgan State (3-9, 1-0 MEAC) beat South Carolina State 73-68 after overcoming a late rally by the Bulldogs (4-11, 0-2), who had trailed 48-38 in the second half before tying the game at 55-55.

Bozeman is no stranger to trouble -- on or off the court.

In 2007, during his first season as Morgan State's coach, Bozeman was charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident at a Virginia restaurant.

The charges were later dismissed after he reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the manager of the establishment and apologized publicly to Mulligan's Sports Grille in court.